Nothin wrong with him asking questions imo.

That came off as far bitchier than I meant it to be.

When the Red Bulls play the Sounders at home, the supporters section is fond of chanting "Friedel's Backup!" at Kasey Keller. First time I can remember literally laughing out loud at a sporting event chant.

I <3 Keller, ldo, but that's good stuff.

When the Sounders played at PGE, someone in the TA held up a sign saying "Do the Cobain Keller".


Not sure why they hate him that much.

Playing for the Sounders is more than enough.

In the first 24 hours I've had MDL, I think I've watched every game this weekend except HOU-PHI and COL-POR because it was blacked out. I saw the Fire game on TV twice, including once at a watch party. There was free sausage and I won a replica jersey in what was one of the most EV+ raffles of all time.

I think it's over-the-top hate for an "ex player" gone to the enemy. He went to UP and played with the Timbers very briefly (wikipedia says 10 matches) his first year out of school. I watched a bunch of 2002WC games at Kells and there were some Timbers Army people there who were talking him up as one of 2 or 3 exTimbers playing in the WC. If that's it, I think it's pretty weak since he's from Washington and doesn't have any real PTFC loyalty or anything to make him any kind of traitor.

**** the Sounders, but there's no particular reason to hate him IMO. I still have a soft spot for him from the USMNT.

yeah I think its the over the top hate that makes little sense to me. I mean we are talking about USL ffs, not even MLS! Anyway, crazy TA imo. I got nothing against Keller as well.

Holdens twitter seems to imply bad news coming tomorrow.

Please no John O'Brien repeat.

Ughhhhhhh

I think he's gonna miss the rest of the EPL season. I read somewhere he had to get 26 stitches in his leg. Yet ANOTHER reason to hate United.

Out 6 months.

Just wonderful.

Well so much for our problems of who starts in the GC midfield... Get healthy, Stu. WC qualifiers are here before you know it.

so I get knee injury but what type of injury? he's not out 6 months just cause of a gash

Well first reports were nothing's broken, so there's that.

Seems too short for an ACL or MCL tear.

Maybe patella tendon?

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cy...on-rupture.htm
Rehabilitation from a patellar tendon rupture is extremely slow and it may take between 6 and 12 months before the patient is able to return to sports.


Maybe dislocated kneecap (but I don't think that gets immediate surgery)?

http://www.sports-injury-info.com/di...d-patella.html
Most patellar dislocations take awhile to heal. The first 3-4 weeks are a protective phase to allow the tissues to heal and tighten down. After that, strengthening can progress. You should be back to normal in 3-5 months after your injury.


Maybe a torn meniscus?

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/meni...usrepair_2.htm
3-4 Months
By 3 to 4 months, most surgeons will allow return to full activities and no longer protect the knee. Patients must slowly return to sports and competition, but they no longer have restrictions on motion and do not require the use of a brace.


I don't know, I'm not a doctor.

A severe injury to the muscle maybe? The gouge was pretty deep and I have to imagine the risk of infection is pretty high.

Sigh, that really sucks. At least it's in a spot (the only spot besides GK) where we have enough depth to handle an injury.

Except I don't think anyone plays that role like he can in a 4-2-3-1. I mean, I'm sure Deuce and Landon CAN, but they're better out wide and the drop-off on the wings after them is pretty large.

The bigger question is what do we do formation-wise now for GC?

Back to an empty-bucket 4-4-2 with Agudelo/Bunbury up top with Jozy?

Keep the 4-2-3-1?
Option a) Bradley in the middle, Edu and Jones in the back
Option b) Landon/Deuce in the middle, Benny/Bedoya on the wing

Balls out 4-3-3? Kinda dig it, but I don't think a single starter would have experience in that system so lol.

The 4-3-3 is what I'd play in a video game but I think it'll be aids on the field. TBH I'd probably puss out and just go with the empty bucket again... we know it works and everyone should be comfortable. Against worse teams that will sit back we can extend it to a diamond middle 4 pretty easily.

Yeah, I don't see how this isn't the perfect response.

But do you guys really want to start 2 of Jozy/Agudelo/Bunbury/Buddle/Davies?

We'll know a lot more about all 5 of them before the GC is here, but as of this moment I'm not that thrilled about having 2 of them on the field. It's possible that come summer my view will be different, particularly if Agudelo or Davies can impress in MLS over the next couple months, but I dunno if there is enough time for me to really want to see 2 of those 5 starting.

As of now I think I prefer either of mmbt's options. Preferably with Clint somewhere in the middle and Benny on the wing(maybe somebody else but we haven't exactly got a ton of time or games to figure out who, and Bedoya isn't even being called in for our 2 friendlies).

The question is how unrealistic is it to expect MB to play Holden's role?

It's not ideal, but it wasn't exactly ineffective when we deployed Jozy/X before.

I would have no problem with this:

-----Jozy-------Agudelo/CD-----
Landy---------------------Deuce-
---------MB---Jones/Edu------

Or this:

---------------Jozy----------------
Benny--------Deuce--------Landy
-----------MB------Jones/Edu----

In any game except Mexico.

Then against Mexico, I'd go:

--------------Jozy--------------
Landy--------MB--------Deuce
---------Jones----Edu---------

Ez game.

Yeah like that a lot Stak, Mexico will typically do something undisciplined and stupid to really allow that formation to work well.

You guys are forgetting about the sensation..


And apparent ladies man..


He was born to play in the middle in a 4-2-3-1

Future!!!